The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-03

eeded qualification from GoD, their heavenly
Father, who is more willing to give the Holy
| Spirit-that which qualities for highest duty
and hottest experience-to them that ask
Him, than earthly parents are to give good
gifts to their children (Luke ri. 13). Luke
records these sayings of JESUS in another
connection, and as having been given upon
another occasion. Matthew and Luke give
| different reports of the Sermon on the
Mount. It was not, probably, the purpose
of either of them to give full report of JE-
| sUs' teaching in the mountain. Each re-
ported what served his own purpose in MAX
ing record of JESUS public ministry. Both
are incomplete and fragmentary. What is
called the Sermon on the Mount may be a
report of JESUS teaching at different times
while in retirement with his disciples in the
mountains of Gailee. (See study August 14).
Luke reports that the teaching under consid-
| Grafton occurred when the disciples had OBJ
| served their Master praying, and one of
| them asked him to teach them to pray as
John taught his disciples. (Luke XII. L.. JE-
sUs may have repeated the teaching upon two
or even several occasions, and the Evangel-
! lists may have reported different occurrences.
Luke connects the teaching of our Lesson
Immediately with the LORDS prayer. In re-
Spouse to the Disciples request to be taught
prayer, the Lords prayer was given. To
inspire their confidence in prayer Gas means
etc., as a means of obtaining Divine favors,
he related parable of selfish man, who by
| a. IN mt q foun
to needy neighbor. In such case, and of
such man favor may be obtained; much
more of God. After the illustration, JESUS
then gave the direct and positive assurance
that all their proper petitions should be
granted, and every prayer answered. ASK,
and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,
for every one that asks receives, and he
who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
shall be opened" Whatever reference there
may be in the figures employed by the great
Teacher in this statement it is evident that
its proper Interpretation involves climax:
Ask, SEEK, KNOCK. The asking must be
supplemented by seeking, and the seeking
by knocking. All true prayer expresses itself
in earnest effort, and when effectual the eff
fort is persistent. "Ask, seek and knock"
says the Master, sand you shall obtain what
you sincerely desire" Asking of GoD is a
spiritual exercise. To ask anything of COB
is to heartily desire Divine favor or bless
ing; to aspire with the energies of the soul
toward Him and His adorable projections.
But the desire is not enough, the aspiration
alone will not reach the attainment desired,
though it will never be secured without it. 1t
must be followed by active effort, and the
effort persisted in. The same is equally true
| of other than Divine and spiritual concerns.
| Purely earthly objects and attainments are
secured in the same way;-an example of
natural law in the spiritual world" If we
ask anything it shall be given unto us; if we
seek the object asked we shall find it; if we
knock for entrance into the desired posses
| sion it shall be opened unto US. The Lesson
| teaches the efficacy of prayer, the possibility
of all desirable human attainments, and the
happy issue of the Divine government.
eff we live life of prayer,
| God is present everywhere;'-
to give us good resolutions and holy purposes
when we ask for them, to reveal unto us the
way of life and truth when we seek it, and to
open for us door into His everlasting king
dom when we knock for entrance.
To illustrate the Fathers Willingness to
answer prayer JESUS by figure of interro-
CATION calls attention to the disposition and
good Judgment of earthly parents, though
evil, in granting their children's desires and
answering their needs "Much more will
your heavenly Father give good things to
them that ask him." COP will answer every
prayer, grantiog better things than We can
ask or think giving US the things we need
when we do not rightly understand our own
needs and ask amiss, just as wise and low
ing earthly parents are inclined to do. All
| true prayer is conditioned on the Fathers
will who knows our every need Mot my
will but thine" "Thy will, not mine, be
DONE" are both example and precept of
JESUS.
Conditions and limitations are implied-are
| even suggested by the. comparison employed
| by the Saviour. Fathers the kindest do not
| always give precisely what is asked for. :
| lii we ask reasonably for proper things, ana
with disposition to leave everything to our
| Father we shall receive what We ask or some
thing better. If we sincerely seek spiritual
| blessing, we shall lind it "more than we can
| ask or think" The best illustration of
| prayer, its temptations and its answers, Is to
| be found in the experience of JESUS when
| he prayed to be delivered from the death be.
| fore him-yet with submission to the Will OF
| his Father, he was not delivered, but "angels
| came and miDistered to him = sincere peace
! filled his soul, and strength was given to him
| to ',endure the cross despising the shame"
| DR.. Denaarest, s. S. Helper, March, 1880.
It is a natural extension of the same argu-
ment SO say, that if we ask for something
which we think to be good but which he knows
| to be evil he will withhold it, even as any
| judicious human parent must often do. IL is
really part of the privilege of prayer, that
| GoD will withhold if he sees best. Were this
| not the case, the wisest and best persons
might often be sloWest to ask, for they know
how often their Judgment as to what was
| best has proved erroneous. Bot as 1t IL, we
may ask without apprehension for whatever
we think is best, and our perfectly wise and
perfectly kind Father will give that or some
| thing which he sees to be better.-Dr. BrodduS
commentary on Matthew"
| TIE GOLDEN RULE.
| Jga7s ia ranresentad as concluding his in